


now I'm climbing the walls

by listenup_folks



Category: fifth harmony - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 20:50:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10447215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listenup_folks/pseuds/listenup_folks
Summary: the one which Camila supplies Lauren post sex coffee





	

**Author's Note:**

> On wattpad @ longerr_hours so swing a follow or read my other works and stuff
> 
> Also lmk how this one is it's been in my drafts for a bit

"Just don't look down, don't look down that's definitely a bad..." Lauren rambles nervously to herself as her sweaty palms hold tightly to the metal bars of the fire escape ladder. 

So Lauren and Lucy had been good friends for a while now, almost all of highschool and now into their early twenties despite some distance in the beginning of college, but they'd only ever really slept together a few times. Mostly drunken experimenting when both girls were too nervous to trust anyone else with their sexuality, but also last night when they'd decided they both needed some tension relieved. 

It was as platonic as a friends with benefits set up could get because really despite some confusion before, they knew they'd be better off as friends. But still, Lauren was usually smart about these things. 

She'd considered most things to be honest. She'd covered the whole no feelings thing easily from the beginning of this new set up, and she'd made sure that Lucy didn't have any danger of falling either because the last thing she wanted was to hurt her best friend, but there had to be something missing right? 

She kind of should have known this was a bad idea when it came to who's place to go to after the night out. 

It's just, well her mother has been pestering her for weeks, months even to settle down, start dating and see where it takes her. She'd been strongly against the idea since her mom started but at this point it was just getting her mom to think she was at least done with her fucking around. 

So hooking up in the apartment next to her mother's best friend? Not a good idea. 

Not just because of the paper thin walls but also Lauren's lack of walk of shame subtlety that would give away what she was up to the night before. She assumes that Mrs. Summers hasn't placed who her neighbor was having sex with, but if she were to catch a glimpse of Lauren leaving (which she would since she's been out there talking to the other neighbors since like two hours ago) she would now exactly who wasn't listening to their mother lately. And hey, Lauren may be 24 years old but like, who isn't afraid of their mom sometimes? 

In hindsight she isn't sure why she didn't just wait until she was sure Mrs. Summers was out at work to leave Lucy's, but she was too paranoid at the time with thinking of her mother's best friend and fuck buddies neighbor finding out what she's been up to. 

That's how she finds herself here though, freaking out over the height like Donkey did on the way to rescuing Fiona. She's always been afraid of heights, but there wasn't any other way to sneak out when the lady next door was out there chatting up a storm with the other neighbors. 

Shimmying down here didn't seem to bad at first, especially when Lucy was wishing her luck with a lingering kiss and a pat on the cheek and okay but now that Lauren is alone in the cold and god jesus Christ this is higher than she thought it would be.

"Fuck okay you just looked down and holy shit that's really-"

"Do you wanna like, come through here or..?" a voice breaks Lauren's monologue and she almost falls to her death with the shock of it (not that she would've since the fire escape is safer than she's making it out to be), but a hand wraps around her wrist tightly to hold her in place when she wobbles a bit in shock. 

"Holy shit don't just pop up on people like-" Lauren starts, more annoyed than anything even though technically she's the one who isn't supposed to be out there but like, still she's in a bad mood ever since she realized she's higher than the Everest and probably about to die. But when she turns to address mystery raspy voice, she's cut off by the air being sucked out of her lungs by how attractive the girl now gently holding her steady on the platform is. 

She's a tiny thing, petite frame cloaked in an oversized t shirt and sweatpants. Her long dark hair is messily pulled up into a bun that she pulls of better than anyone Lauren has seen and she's got some damn good lips, don't even start on her eyes though, they're brown and big and oh they're - they're looking right at Lauren who's still not answered the question oops.

"Okay it's freezing out here so you in or out?" raspy voice cuts off her staring and she feels her face flush but it was already red from the wind so she doesn't try to cover it. 

"Umm..." Lauren hesitates but then realizes that she's at least a floor below now and smiles brightly, nodding that this stranger just saved her from plummeting to her death. 

"Okay well coolio I was just getting-"

"Oh my gosh Mila a girl! Are the storks updating to fully grown or are you like... late?" a male voice cuts in as Camila bends to shut the window behind Lauren who's rubbing her arms and trying not to stare at how Camila's sweats hug her ass. 

The voice makes her realize she's staring though and so she snaps her eyes up to meet a smirking brunette boy sitting at a small table with a mug of coffee. He's got a baby face kind of adorable actually but also lowkey dope. For some reason Lauren is happy to have good gaydar because even though she literally doesn't even know the girl - Mila? - she's pretty and Lauren wants all pretty girls to stay away from boys. 

The apartment is pretty open, the window opens up to a small kitchen with two small tables, one on either side with two chairs at each. One side is against a wall and one is against what looks like a bookshelf facing the other way which Lauren can make out to be a living room area with a small couch and a television set. If you follow the wall side, it leads over to the exit but along the wall are three doors, bedrooms and a bathroom Lauren assumes. 

"Ha ha Troye," the girl cuts in and heads over to the Keurig to grab what Lauren assumes she was doing before Lauren interrupted. "But anyways as I was saying, I was making coffee and then Troye over there was like, 'Oh my god it's a girl! And a pretty one too,' and I had to see because, well I don't know actually I guess I just like girls and you are definitely a pretty one but it's not every day a pretty girl falls from the sky and-" she's once again cut off by a male voice but this time it's a different one, laughing as the girl blushes at what she'd blurted out. 

"Smooth Mila," the new boy jokes as he runs a towel over his wet hair before tossing it to the couch on the other side of the open apartment. "I'm Shawn," he grins as he turns to address Lauren who's been standing off to the side somewhat awkwardly as she watches the roommates interact. 

"Lauren," she smiles warmly, not knowing whether she should head straight for the door or stay and chat with the friendly neighbors she never knew Lucy had. 

"That's Troye and the lovely lady to your right is Camila," Shawn continues, plopping in the seat across from Troye and grabbing the mug out of Camila's hand, who pouts at first but turns to make her own, accepting that he took hers. "I'm assuming by your rumpled dress and hickey covered neck this is some weird version of a walk of shame? Pretty original idea though so it takes away some of the shame," he jokes and chugs some of his coffee and sending Camila a thankful grin as she hands him a plate of toast with scrambled eggs.

"Well I mean... it is pretty obvious huh?" Lauren laughs, not bothering to deny it to the strangers because they don't seem to be judging. "But yeah, my umm, my mom's friend lives next door so I figured I'd hop down," she explains and the two boys burst into laughter and Camila fails to hold in a laugh herself from where her back is turned to the coffee machine.

"How do you take your coffee? It's the least we can do to help you defrost," Camila offers from over her shoulder and Lauren smiles as she takes a seat at the other table that Shawn's gesturing to.

"Just a little sugar," she answers and it only takes a second before Camila is taking the seat across form her with two cups of coffee. 

"So now that we're acquainted and all, tell us about yourself Lauren," Troye speaks and Lauren notices from her seat the way his and Shawn's feet are intertwined and smiles lightly are learning more about the trio's dynamics. 

She ends up learning a lot about their dynamics. It's not on purpose actually, they get to talking and they all get along extremely well. She accidentally stays for over an hour, chatting and joking with the three new friends before Shawn realizes he's late for class and Camila has to get to work and Lauren realizes she may have overstayed her welcome and thanks them before heading off, much happier than she had been outside on the freezing fire escape. 

"You guys were loud last night," Camila greets as she opens the window for Lauren a few weeks later after having done so a few nights a week. 

It's become routine kind of, Lauren cuts down the fire escape, camila's making coffee next to the window, and the four talk for a few hours. This is one of the few times the boys are out already and Lauren feels a bit happy because okay she might kind of have a crush on the girl and Shawn and Troye are great but they either talk too much or make jokes about Lauren staring and she kind of doesn't want to be caught. 

Lauren blushes dark at the comment though, often forgetting that the paper thin walls aren't exclusively when it comes to Mrs. Summers next door. "Well Lucy was kind of-"

"Lo I recognize your voice," Camila turns around and pushes a cup into a still blushing Lauren's hands before continuing, "It's hot though so don't worry about the lack of sleep," she winks and Lauren's face turns even redder if possible. 

"Still, I'll take you into consideration next time," Lauren says but stops when she realizes what she's saying and Camila's laugh breaks the silence.

"So it's Lucy Vives?" Camila asks once they're both settled into their usual seats next to the bookshelf. At Lauren's nod she continues, "I've talked to her a few times, seems like a cool girl. How long have you two been together?" Camila asks and Lauren can't help but laugh at the question that makes Camila furrow her brows in confusion.

"We're not like dating or anything, Lucy's been my friend for a few years now and we both just wanted to telive some tension, you know? This seemed like the least complicated way to do so," Lauren explains and Camila sips her coffee but nods along, looking at Lauren over the rim of her cup and fuck her eyes are like, so hot right now but Lauren isn't thinking that, nope not at all. 

"Wow, okay sorry I didn't mean to assume things, you've just been coming through for almost a month now and I guess I just thought... yeah but that's cool still, I get what you're saying," Camila answers and reaches for the cereal on the counter that she forgot, but obviously ends up falling in her attempt to reach and not get up out of her chair. 

Lauren laughs before she show her concern, which kind of makes her laugh even brighter because that means they're better friends already than she thought they were. 

They laugh it off for a few, joking and teasing and finally settle into conversation after about half an hour of aimlessly joking and making small talk.

"So Lauren Jauregui," Camila starts and leans forward to rest her chin on her bent arms. "I don't know enough about you."

"What'd you wanna know?" Lauren shrugs back, feeling flustered with Camila looking at her like that even though Camila's only ever looked at her like that. "I'm pretty much an open book but I guess some facts haven't been revealed yet."

"Where you from? Obviously you live in New York, unless you commute to fuck," Camila jokes, "But like born and raised?" 

"West Philadelphia... kidding, Miami actually, I'm a 305 baby, my parents moved up here once my youngest sister went to college because they wanted to spend some time in the city but they're bound to go back," she answers with a grin, not being able to not use that pun. Camila's giving her a funny look though so, "What? Seriously you can't judge me for bad jokes Ms.-"

"I'm from Miami too," she interrupts with a smile taking over her face. "Actually I'm born and kind of raised in Cuba, but only til I was six years old, 305 since then," she continues on with a smile and Lauren smiles too at how cute Camila looks when she's smiling. 

"This is crazy oh my god, where'd you go to high school?" Lauren questions as she stirs at the little remaining coffee she has in her mug, unable to break eye contact with Camila long enough to finish it. 

"Carrollton? It was one of the all girl-"

"Holy shit, I went to Carrollton too. You're what, two years younger than me? We legit went to school together how did we never connect this?" Lauren asks in shock that she'd missed this drop dead gorgeous girl in her high school. Sure she was a little bit younger but their high school wasn't exactly packed, maybe six, seven hundred girls but not enough for her to not recognize Camila at all. 

"This is why you looked familiar," Camila replies, jaw kind of slacked as she leans back in her seat in awe of her realization. Camila starts giggling after a moment and Lauren quirks an eyebrow urging the girl to continue, and Camila shameless as ever does so, "I had a huge crush on you my freshman year." 

Lauren's jaw drops at that. Mainly because holy shit this Camila had a crush on her woah but also like, how did Camila not recognize her? She doesn't look that different, maybe since her hair is darker and she's lost all traces of baby fat on her cheeks. 

"For real?" Lauren asks with her jaw still a bit agape but she knows she has to say something. 

"Mhm, you were like, hot shit so I never could've talked to you, but I knew what you looked like and I knew your first name," Camila explains with her grin still present as she goes into details of her crush. "I'm surprised it took em this long to recognize you, god I had like a huge crush for a year and I only got over it because you were dating some guy from the public school and i felt like a dumb underclassman."

"Holy shit how did I not notice you? Like god if you would've tried to talk to me I probably would've been all over the idea and-"

"Lauren you were the most popular girl in school, not to mention taken for the most part by that girl you were... oh my god was that Lucy? Her name started with an 'L' and-" at Lauren nod she groans to herself and buries her face in her palm, "I can't believe I didn't recognize this sooner. But it's totally because I had baby fat and the social skills of a hippopotamus- why you don't recognize me that is, I was awkward and shy and never really went to any parties and such. I just went to the same school but I wasn't really socially active with anyone other than my best friend Dinah." 

"Well on the bright side you're like my bestie now," Lauren jokes with a small blush still at the fact that Camila Cabello had a crush on her. "And if it's any consolation to not knowing what you looked like back then, I think you're beautiful now."

That's the first time she makes Camila blush herself and she's damn proud of herself for it. 

They become pretty good friends after that day. It's almost three whole months of Lauren stopping by for coffee on the mornings and joking around with Camila (and the two boys but mainly Camila) before something goes wrong. 

Lauren knows that Camila kind of has a crush on her. 

Shawn makes it obvious with his teasing and Camila's red face makes it even more obvious (and Troye's "awe leave the love kitten alone" kind of makes it clear too). 

Camila's crush is kind of adorable, at some point she even started buying Cheerios for Lauren to have once she found out the older girl liked them, and it makes Lauren's mornings better. Camila is just so sweet and nice and hot and adorable and hot and sexy and so so cute and so so hot and Lauren has a huge crush back. 

She doesn't notice the way that Camila's eyes lose their spark for a minute whenever Troye teases Lauren for her hickies or bruised lips. 

She doesn't notice the way Shawn shoots Camila a soft sympathetic look whenever Lauren makes jokes about being too loud again. 

She really thinks she likes Camila a little too much but she also thinks that Camila just has a crush. She doesn't think it's anything to act upon, especially since they only really see each other when Lauren's coming back from fucking somebody else. 

Now like, it's also pretty obvious that Lauren likes Camila, at least in her own opinion. The amount of times she's caught checking her out is literally uncountable at this point, and she smiles brighter than she usually does whenever Camila does or says anything cute (or actually anything at all). 

So like, it kind of hurts when Camila isn't the one to open the window when she knocks, but a girl in nothing but her pantes and bra on.

"Umm I don't know if you like have the wrong house or-"

"Lo? Oh hey I didn't, you don't usually come on Wednesdays cause of class but umm... I have coffee if you want any?" Camila offers, entering the room and trying not to let her eyes widen too much at seeing the girl she'd kill to be with staring confusedly at the girl she had over the night before. 

"Seriously?" Lauren asks once she finds her words. Okay Camila may not like her as much but she doesn't have to ignore the tension that had been growing between them. She'd kind of been waiting for Camila to make a move, assuming her feelings were obvious enough (conveniently forgetting that sleeping with someone else is kind of cancelling out any signals she could be sending). 

"Forget it," Lauren continues after a minute of looking angrily at a clueless Camila who's making this harder by being dressed in just panties and a t shirt, obviously with no bra underneath. "I'm going to go."

"Wait Lauren hold up," Camila stops and makes to grab Lauren's arm but the older girl shakes it off, making Camila's face drop and her stomach sink. "What's wrong?" she asks, not grabbing Lauren but turning to she's blocking the short path form the kitchen to the door. 

"What's wrong?" Lauren asks incredulously as her eyebrows raise and Camila flinches a bit with how sour her voice sounds. "Why don't you ask her," Lauren snaps and that opens up the obvious tension, leaving Camila flabbergasted that, woah Lauren is jealous and the girl standing innocently at a loss.

"Umm..." the girl trails off cluelessly as she looks between a wide eyed Lauren and a guilty looking Camila. "I'm just um, I'm gotta Zayn," she decides and shrugs her shirt on fully before turning for what Lauren knows is Camila's bedroom probably to pick up her clothes and the rest of her dignity.

Lauren waits until she's out of sight to speak again, "Well I guess I'll have to knock next time huh?" she snips before making her way past Camila heading towards the door. "Wouldn't want to make you stop for seconds on account of me," she continues and, okay she knows she can't talk but Camila's never had anyone other than Shawn and Troye over and it's kind of throwing her off. 

"Are you being serious right now?" Camila asks with her eyebrows high as the ceiling because Lauren can't be serious right now. 

"I don't know, forget it okay? I have to get to work anyways," Lauren rolls her eyes and grabs her purse from where she had set it in her usual seat.

"So you're allowed to fuck Lucy every night but I can't have someone over once?" Camila demands as she watches the girl try to leave without addressing anything and becomes even more angry than before. 

"Lucy doesn't mean shit!" Lauren yells in frustration as she spins to face an equally as pissed off Camila.

"Yeah well you could've fucking fooled me," Camila snaps back, running a hand through her hair frustratedly, "You've been hooking up with her for months now, really screams 'she means nothing' if you ask me," she sarcastically snips and Lauren knows she's kind of right but like also not really. But still, Lauren knows she can't really be as hurt as she is by Camila having a girl over. 

"Look," Camila sighs as she runs a hand through her hair and nervously lets out a breath of air. "I'm sorry if you feel ambushed or whatever but... do you know how hard it is to be around you knowing that not over an hour ago you were with someone else? I'm just so confused and all you ever do is flirt and smile and your smile has been enough to keep me content but I can't just wait around for you to make some move or-whatever it is you're doing I just, I'm too confused at this point, so keep fucking Lucy or whatever but if you're going to do that then stop flirting with me," she confesses and holds her breath waiting for Lauren's response. 

Lauren knows that she should use this chance. She's been waiting for Camila to make a move, but learning that Camila's been waiting for the opposite? That's basically confirmation that nothing's going to go wrong right? 

She doesn't know why she replies the way she does, but the words are out before she can stop them, "Being friendly isn't flirting," she grits out, too stubborn to admit she feels the same and wants to slap herself when Camila's face falls at the words, but instead of slapping herself she finds herself continuing. "But I guess I'll stop doing that then."

Camila looks like she's going to cry once Lauren can finally meet her eyes again. And part of Lauren wants to kiss her, or some other grand gesture so that she'll know Lauren didn't mean it. She knows that numb pain that comes with trying to hold your tears in and she doesn't want Camila to have to go through it for a second longer. She wants to take it back, to hug Camila and kick the girl out and promise to never sleep with Lucy or anyone else as long as Camila will have her for. 

Instead she turns and walks out so Camila can stop trying so hard to hold in the tears. 

Lauren doesn't answer any of Lucy's texts for almost two weeks. Kind of because she's busy and not in the mood, but she knows it's more to do with the fact that Camila must have told Shawn and Troye and they all must hate her. 

She cracks eventually though because Lucy's always been a good friend and blatantly ignoring her and blowing her off is kind of rude (and she kind of wants to see Camila, even if she might not survive the wrath of double gay trouble that live with her).

"Lo, are you sure you don't want to just go out the front? Mrs. Summers won't give a shit and I doubt she'd actually rat you out to your mom," Lucy suggests as she sees the hesitation in Lauren's eyes over going her usual way.  Lucy was her friend over her fuck buddy, meaning Lauren had told her all about Camila and her friends downstairs and her small crush and then about her small fight and now she's here trying to convince Lauren to not go that way for the day. 

"I feel like that's pussying out, Luce," Lauren says in a small voice, looking out the window and tugging her jacket tighter around herself to brace for the cold. "I'll just climb all the way down if they ignore me," she decides and Lucy doesn't look like she agrees with the idea (and Lauren thinks it's more to do with Lucy feeling bad for Camila than it is for her sympathizing with Lauren. Ever since she'd explained Camila having feelings Lucy had felt like a huge bitch leaving marks all over Lauren's neck).

"Okay well let me know when you're home? Maybe we can grab lunch with Keana since she's starting today, girl's probably nervous as fuck," Lucy adds with a grin and Lauren smiles, nods her approval and then she's out on the familiar ladder that leads to her death (she's not sure if she's still talking about that in terms of the height). 

She gets to the window in a longer amount of time than usual, not as nervous about falling down on the fire escape exactly. She's more overanalyzing every way that she could be kicked out of Camila's apartment and none of them seem too appealing. She's half expecting nobody to let her in, for the curtain to be closed or for a "fuck you" banner to be hung in the window opening, so imagine her surprise when Troye is standing at the counter and sends a small smile before coming over to open up for her. 

"Hey stranger, long time no see," he greets and Lauren smiles nervously back at him, hesitating to come in but ultimately deciding that Troye wouldn't let her in if it was to risky. He'd become her best friend out of the three (other than Camila but that wasn't exactly platonic), and she figured he would give her some sort of warning if the other two were out for blood. 

"Sorry I haven't been around, I've missed you guys," Lauren answers quietly, pulling the window shut behind her and being hit with the familiar smell of coffee and Shawn's weird egg benedict omelet thing that he always has cooking. "I've just been so busy and-"

"Busy fucking around? That sounds-"

"Shawn, not now," Camila's voice cuts the boy off as they both make their way into the kitchen, Shawn with a glare thrown towards a defeated looking Lauren and Camila with her eyes focused on the ground as she sneaks past them all to the coffee counter. 

"Ignore him," Troye says, sending a look to a still glaring at Lauren before continuing, "he's going to play nice unless he wants to be sleeping on the couch tonight, isn't that right Shawny?" 

"Fuck you," Shawn spats at Troye surprisingly although he probably wants to be saying it to Lauren, but he crosses his arms and glares at his plate instead of Lauren, smiling a little bit when Camila comes over with his food but going back a glare before he can fully break character.

"Here, I umm... I made you a to go one? I know you have class in..." she pauses to look at the clock, "forty minutes? It's fresh so-"

"How'd you know I'd be here?" Lauren asks, shocked because usually she'd been coming most days and she'd abruptly stopped so she assumed they'd think she was gone for good. "Not that I'm not grateful, like thank you so much cause I would've died without it but-"

"You're loud in bed jackass," Shawn snaps shoving his fork down with a clatter and returning to glaring at Lauren whose face drops realizing that Camila had to hear her- fuck turning to look at said girl Lauren's heart sinks even more at her dropped gaze and nervously fidgeting with her shirt hands. "Have some decency Jesus fucking-"

"Shawn that's enough," Camila cuts off and surprisingly her voice is strong and not quivering with the tears Lauren swears she was seeing a second ago brimming her eyes. "It's not her fault if I have a fucking crush, she doesn't have to stop with... fuck here Lauren I have an interview so I can't really talk or anything but..."

"Camz..."

"I'll see you around? Probably anyways since you're still... yeah," Camila rambles, running a nervous hand over the back of her neck before giving Lauren what is clearly an attempt at a reassuring smile. 

Troye sends her a small bye but Shawn's glare is still in place and boy, he's adorable when he's normal but mad Shawn is probably the scariest person in the world, so Lauren ducks out without much argument, hearing Troye scold him once she's passing the door. 

She goes to Lucy's a few days later and Shawn beats either to the window. He has the decency to let her out that way, but he guides her to the door with no coffee and doesn't let her see if Camila or Troye is home, but then again it's probably better not to make Camila go through knowing she was with Lucy and Shawn says as much after all but shoving her towards the door. 

Now Lauren's been doing a lot of thinking and she kind of regrets never telling Camila she didn't mean it. It's been a few weeks since that last time and she's kind of stopped with Lucy. They're having a girl's movie night with Keana and Alexa and it happens to be at Lucy's when she finally sees Camila again. She hadn't seen her since that time Shawn had been a dick (with good reason of course) and she wasn't really planning on it until she was read to grovel for her affection, but of course fate has to step in and remind her why people always call fate a bitch. Well actually that's karma but like, same thing right? 

She's in the elevator, going up to Lucy's place with a bottle of wine and a string bag for her pajamas and she hears the voice right when the elevators are closing, "Stop the elevator," it says as a foot pushes its way between the doors causing them to open and of course it's Camila. 

Of course it's Camila who's face demeanor saddens when she sees that Lauren's obviously prepped for a night at Lucy's. Still she smiles slightly in greeting then continues to say nothing else. 

It's, to put it lightly, the most awkward situation Lauren has ever been in. She's wondering if running as soon as she saw Camila and taking the stairs would have been more or less awkward and now she thinks that it would have been less because anything would be less awkward than being on a silent elevator with Camila who knows exactly where she's going and exactly why she's going there. And the whole not talking. She's only known Camila for a few months but they never had a minute where things were silent and now suddenly they're in an elevator alone, both hoping for the trip up to just be over already. 

"Have fun," Camila snips as she walks off and Lauren really didn't see that coming, like yeah Camila has been sarcastic before but not like, Lauren thought she'd gotten over the fact that she's "not into her" but this jealousy kind of made her think otherwise?

She officially ends thing with Lucy that night. It had already been over but knowing she still has a shot with Camila kind of made her want to make sure they were both on the same page before she went for it. 

She's still nervous though. 

She doesn't really know how to go about it. She has all three of the roommates numbers, so she could just text Camila to meet up and hope for the best, but Lauren's always been a big believer in 'go big or go home', so she can't just text her and expect shit to turn right.

It takes another week for her to finally come up with anything. It's kind of because of her post Camila depression that she does think of something. She'd been thinking about the younger girl a lot and of course that led to listening to all of her favorite songs and artists and watching her favorite movies and television shows, and Camila may have had weird taste sometimes, but some of the recommendations surprisingly weren't as torturous as she'd thought they would be. 

She texts Troye a few days before she's planning to do it, wanting to make sure her and Camila will have privacy to talk (also because Lauren has stage fright and couldn't confess her feelings with Shawn shooting daggers at her). The younger boy is thrilled to say the least and vows his secrecy when he finds out Lauren's finally going to fight for her, and to her relief he informs her Camila is still too upset to go out and try to actually date someone else. 

Lauren's afraid of heights still. 

Coming down from Lucy's apartment that first day seemed impossible. She lived on the tenth floor, almost the top of a giant condo building and Lauren just, she felt like she was going to fall no matter how tightly she held on. 

She never actually made it all the way down though, Camila had let her in and then all of that had happened. So this means she had no idea that she would have awkwardly had to ask one of the residents on the first floor to cut through their apartment anyways since the jump to the cement was too risky (but now because she couldn't reach it even if she tried). 

Going up it is easier at first. Because she isn't yet all the way up there and it isn't yet as terrifying as it's going to be once she gets a little ways up. 

It would also make it easier to back out. In the beginning she had to get down, whereas now she already is down so why bother, right? Well Lauren considers getting to Camila more important than avoiding Mrs. Summers, so technically this is more necessary than going down. Especially if she wants to do it right. 

She feels kind of awkward on a few different occasions, making eye contact with people looking at her lie she's crazy or suspicious which, yeah she's climbing a fire escape but it's like three in the afternoon so it's unlikely she'd be robbing anyone, but then again this area of New York isn't always the safest so she can't blame them. 

Camila's standing in the kitchen window when she finally makes her way all the way up, nervously thinking about all that could go wrong on her way. Her main thought being that Camila wouldn't be home so at least that's not an issue, but when Camila sees her and her face changes to something Lauren can't read, she kind of wants to run back down and not care about the risk of falling. Because that's less scary than facing Camila with that facial expression.

"Lauren? Booty calls getting late or something?" Camila comments, opening the window for her but leaving it without welcoming her in to return to the counter and go over the articles she's seemingly focused on. 

"Actually I came up," Lauren explains, waiting for Camila to react but not getting a reaction so continuing, "for you? Like I climbed all the way- look I know you have reason to be upset and all but could you at least hear me out?" she asks, getting slightly annoyed when Camila turns a page in the magazine to emphasize that she;s not listening. 

"Not really," Camila snaps and Lauren's about to reply before she's cut off by a dry laugh escaping Camila's lips. "Look I don't know what the fuck you're doing here but you really should leave, I'm in the middle of-"

"I know you're not doing anything I asked Troye to be sure," Lauren cuts her off and grimaces to herself when Camila just glares at her for that. "Look Camz-"

"Don't call me that right now, you can't..." Camila starts and rubs at her forehead before finding words, "I can't deal with this right now, I'm tired and I just- I'm sorry Lauren but I need you to go," she finishes and drops her magazine to the counter and turns, not shutting the window but instead making her way towards her bedroom while Lauren panics on how to make her stop. 

"I listened to One Direction," Lauren cuts her off and Camila stops in her tracks, not facing Lauren yet but obviously curious as to what she's talking about. "I umm... I'm climbing the walls, since you've got that one thing and all? I know it's cheesy and stupid but like, they aren't as bad as I always thought they were and if you like them then they're even better and I just... fuck Camila I really like you," Lauren elaborates, blushing slightly when she realizes this could have just been stupid and cheesy for no reason.

"I'm such an idiot for being so rude and I was just... I'm afraid of heights. And it's a stupid metaphor and all but if I couldn't climb down the fire escape, how was I supposed to let myself fall for you? I should've told you though. I shouldn't have waited until you were with someone else and then I shouldn't have been so in denial when I had my chance with you... I should've stopped seeing Lucy as soon as I met you and I should've come to your door instead. But I'm here now. And I'm sorry for that, I'm so sorry for that and I'm willing to ale you coffee every day for the rest of four months and then some to make it up to you?" 

Camila doesn't reply at first. She's still facing the other way, not reacting as far as Lauren can tell and she's honestly kind of embarrassed because 'go big or go home' also means throwing your pride to the side. Also she kind of doesn't want to have to climb all the way back down there, it was scary enough to come up. 

She sighs heavily after at least a minute of silence from the younger girl and starts to accept defeat. 

"My favorite right now is 'Video Games'," Camila speaks, cutting Lauren off before she can spin and let her feet guide her back down nine floors. "I know all the words, but I kind of can't think of any lines to use right now that wouldn't feel too soon but umm... you da bestest?" Camila speaks nervously and she spins around to let Lauren finally see the grin splitting her face and the beautiful blush covering her cheeks. 

Lauren's grin feels two times as big when she picks up on the reference to the music she had recommended to Camila that day. 

She's happy, she knows that much. Camila isn't mad, at least she doesn't look mad, and maybe she'll be mad again later but right now she's not. Right now she's quoting equally as cheesy lyrics to Lauren and smiling like she feels the same. 

"You know umm, the next lyrics? 'Lean in for a big kiss'?" Lauren asks as she pulls herself through the window slowly as Camila walks forward with patience in her steps as she lets Lauren situate herself on the windowsill. "Can I maybe try that?" 

"That'd be perfect," Camila smiles and lets her hand be grasped by Lauren's and pulled in, "it was kind of bad compared to yours but I was referencing the One direction song by the way, Perfect? It's on the newer album so-"

"Yeah yeah I know what you're saying Camz, now shut up and let me kiss you," Lauren cuts off and wants to smack herself in the face when Camila lets out a loud laugh at the accentual pun. 

"Like the song? Kiss you? Get it?" Camila starts again through chuckles but Lauren doesn't bother cutting her off with anything but her lips.


End file.
